Successive governments have promoted alcohol drinking, says actor Suriya on hoocha death in Tamil Nadu and bat ban | Chennai News

“How can we use words to comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones poisonous drink?” he wrote.

Saying that “the anxiety, worry and anger of political parties, the media and the public have intensified,” the actor wrote that “the MK Stalin government’s quick action to minimize losses is some consolation,” but “a mere short-term solution to a long-term problem will certainly is not effective.”

Funeral preparations in Kallakurichi. PTI

Pointing to a similar incident last year in Viluppuram district where 22 people died after consuming toxic alcohol containing methanol, the actor said that despite the government’s assurances of adopting stringent measures, people “continue to die from the same cause”.

“It is deeply saddening that there has been no change so far,” said the actor, known for his outspoken views on social issues and often criticizing government policies.

Putting the blame on the government, Suriya wrote: “For over two decades, the people of Tamil Nadu have witnessed successive governments, which they believed have improved their lives, continue to encourage the population to drink through TASMAC (government-run alcoholic beverage retail outlets Sockets). “‘Prohibition policy’ becomes merely a topic of conversation for all political parties during elections.”

Urging the Stalin government to immediately implement long-term plans for the rehabilitation of alcohol addicts, following the example of efforts to improve student education, Suriya expressed hope that the Prime Minister would take decisions on prohibition policies in the public interest.

Former union minister Anbumani Ramadoss talks to doctors at a government hospital where people consuming fake alcohol are being treated, in Kallakurichi district, Friday, June 21, 2024. At least 47 people have died due to the consumption of fake alcohol and the condition of 30 people, according to officials, others are critical. (PTI Photo)

“The government must immediately end the violence it has perpetrated against its own people by encouraging drinking for many years. Rehabilitation centers should be established in every district to save alcohol-dependent people and help them recover from the addiction… Only if the government and political parties act with a long-term vision, such tragic deaths can be prevented in the future, he added.

The actor and his wife Jyothika run the Agaram Foundation, which focuses on providing quality education to underprivileged children.

Following the deaths of three Tamil Nadu medical school aspirants in 2020, he publicly condemned the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET), arguing that it was discriminatory and harmful to students from rural backgrounds.